h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

This is marginally related to the news article about the bicycle race. It seems that many people have the stereotype that vegetarians are weak or passive. Now here are my questions:

A.) Why is this?
B.) What can we do to shatter this image?

I have some thoughts on the matter but it's the middle of the night, so I'm off to bed and the rest of you can discuss it. Good night!

I suppose it's some sort of association between eating (red) meat and strength. Or maybe people think all vegetarians are protein-deficient.

As to how you'd change the image, I'm not sure. A few prominent sportspeople claiming to be veggie might help. Perhaps more vegetarian organisations could sponsor sports teams??

Or else we could all take up kick-boxing...

I'm a vegetable and I'm not weak I could give a meat eater a run for their money any day . . . well in sports anyway
The reason we're seen as weak and passive dates back to Elizabethan times when it was widely believed that meat was choleric and so induced anger into those who ate it and therefore spirit and strength so I guess the image continued though peoples reading of Elizabethan texts such as Shakespeares Taming Of a Shrew which refers to it

I think we have suffered from the pale and pastey, brown rice eating, image for a long time, but I think it is changing slowly. As vegetarianism becomes more mainstream this image will hopefully fade. I suspect that it stems rom the fact that the people who were drawn to vegetarianism in the sixties and seventies were pale and pastey to start with .

Argh! I hate it when you spot the typo just *after* you've hit the post button. ...stems from...

Grrr, especially now it proves I've got used to the button switch

Hey everyone I guess it's like thye say " It''s not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the Dog" Hye Mike where have you been I haven't talked to you in awhile. Well keep in touch!!!

I agree with everyone. I also think the fact that many vegetarians are concerned with animal rights also contributes to the stereotype. There is still that association with caring about those kind of things and lacking strength and agression. I agree that we can change the stereotype by promoting vegetarian atheletes.

Oh, and Tinkerbell, assuming you meant "vegetarian" and not "vegetable", would you be interested in joining the Society?

I meant vegetable, I'm actually a carrot you see
Sure I'll join, but from past experience I ought to ask what I'm joining as last time I got ended up as a participant in the Channel five 'Days Of Our Lives' competition and that's an experience I'd rather not have again

This is the H2G2 Vegetarian Society. Joining just means you get to have your name displayed on the front page with a nice little link to your h2g2 page. Welcome to the team; I think you're our first carrot.

Ooh does that mean I get a special discount...like for the 1st customer in a new shop? Don't know what I could actually get a discount for...maybe organic fertiliser? Actually on second thoughts maybe not

On the subject of vegetarian athletes, I remember, not too many years ago, reading articles in body building magazines around interviews with vegetarian body builders.

I know the Veg.Soc.UK used to organise or sponsor sporting activities, but that was many moons ago.

It may be worth contacting the Veg.Soc. to see whether they organise or sponsor vegetarian sporting events, or could tell us who does.

There are enough vegetarian/vegan animal rights supporters in prison for their "aggressive" actions to counteract the claim that vegetarians and those concerned for animal welfare/environmental issues are lacking in aggression.

Carl Lewis is the fastest Vegan in the World. Just thought I'd let you all know.

I had no idea he was a vegan!

Sorry to be pedantic but I can't resist, is he quicker than a gazelle?